In 1998, the fourth movie installment of the iconic ’80s slasher franchise starring the killer doll known as Chucky was released Oct. 16, titled “Bride of Chucky“. The movie is a comedy, horror, and romance thriller written by Don Mancini and directed by Ronny Yu.
Chucky is yet again brought back from hell by the power of voodoo. Instead of terrorizing the poor Andy Barclay (Alex Vincent) again, Chucky ruins the lives of a young naive couple, Jesse (Nick Stabile) and Jade (Katherine Heigl), who are tired of hiding their love because of nosy stuck-up families. But Chucky’s not alone, his devout, crazy lover Tiffany Valentine (Jennifer Tilly) accompanies him as they spread mayhem until they find the perfect candidates to transfer their souls into.
The film is considered a big contrast compared to the previous Chucky movies, showcasing a soft, romantic side of him never seen before by viewers. Yet, he remains true to his roots of being a corrupt serial killer which causes future problems. Chucky’s personality is what makes the movie comedic but his actions reflect the horror genre of inducing fear of his next victim. After considering certain aspects like cinematography, editing, form, style and overall performance of the film, my final rating of “Bride of Chucky” is 7.5/10.
In the ’90s, there was a shift of more mobile homes being available to rent in response to economic slumps. American society has built a negative reputation towards the trailer park community for being low class and crazy individuals. The character Tiffany represents “trailer park trash,” she’s known for weird obsessions like the murder of Charles Lee Ray and her endless search of finding how to resurrect her true love, Chucky, with the guidance from the book titled “Voodoo for Dummies.”
Viewers who have a fear of dolls would be terrified to step inside Tiffany’s trailer full of creepy-looking dolls. There was a distinct contrast between the love of Jesse and Jade, and the relationship of Chucky and Tiffany. One couple clearly resembles a toxic love story while the other showcases young lovers who will do anything to stay together. Jesse and Jade’s relationship represents the common thing of young lovers rebelling against their strict parents to solidify their forbidden love by running away to get married and start a family.
One of my major complaints with this movie is how it has a short 89 minute runtime. If the duration of the movie was longer it would have enhanced the pacing of the story because it felt like the dolls teleported from Tiffany’s trailer to the graveyard where Chucky’s corpse was buried, along with helping the audience get to know and connect to the newly introduced characters before they were killed off. Maybe it was Mancini and Yu’s stylistic choice to not focus on the runaway couple to create more suspense and tension since the audience has less knowledge to build sympathy towards them or predict their next move.
On the thread of not getting to know newly introduced characters, the movie had such more potential of giving background information about Chucky’s new sidekick and love interest, such as a possible flashback scene shot in black and white of Charles Lee Ray and Tiffany’s old murderous adventures together. After this movie, Tiffany becomes a recurring character in the series, either being Chucky’s voice of reason or accompanying him in his devious plans. So, it would have been nice to learn more about Tiffany since she has an important role in the franchise.
In some of the scenes shot from a birds-eye-view angle, it was evident that they used little people instead of the dolls. Being able to tell the switch made the scene more humorous and a distraction from impactful scenes, specifically when Tiffany and Chucky are having another heated standoff and fighting each other with shovels until one dies like all newlyweds do.
I do appreciate how the film addresses the ’80s horror trope of using a kitchen knife to kill someone in modern times due to the numerous innovative ways people have died. Tiffany bashes Chucky’s go-to murder weapon by saying, “For god’s sake Chucky, drag yourself into the ’90s. Stabbings went out with Bundy and Dahmer. You look like Martha Stewart with that thing.”
The movie incorporated a sharp cut to Chucky playing with bubbles and having a fun time while Tiffany is screaming in agony as she dies from electricity in her bathtub showcases Chucky’s mischievous yet childish personality. This was purposely done by Chucky in retaliation for her refusing to aid him in his mission because Chucky laughed about the thought of them getting married.
The editing decision to display the title of the movie using the same font of Chucky’s skin is a nod to his death in “Child’s Play 3“; fans of the series would appreciate the attention to detail. Another attention to detail I appreciate is the costume directors’ design choice of Tiffany’s doll because it accurately resembles her human form from hair, makeup, and punk style. To make the film feel realistic, there were various uses of high and low camera angles to portray the clashing height difference between Chucky and his human victims.
One of my favorite segments of the movie was how Tiffany killed the thieving couple at some rundown Vegas honeymoon hotel using a champagne bottle, a great way to test their agreement of until death do them part. This scene was shot using an extreme wide shot which heightened the collision of the glass shards, the bodies, and the water bed creating a beautiful explosion. The classic trope where the mess is left for the maid, who is always first to discover the body, then freaks out which alerts other residents about the horrific tragedy.
Another cool technique used in the film was cast shadows as an innovative way to avoid showing any doll nudity of Chucky and Tiffany during the scene where they solidify their love by “testing the plumbing.” The source of light was the fire in the fireplace, creating a romantic aura that reflects the burning love they had for each other, at that moment.
The movie’s acclaimed elements were the new side of Chucky being in love while remaining in his murderous roots, and the strategic use of camerawork to enhance the effects of important parts of the narrative on the audience. The film lacked in providing information about newly introduced characters, and the overall storytelling in this movie felt rushed with the constant shifts in setting.
